Bertona Park

Ottawa, Canada

Strike Leader Ae'url, checked on the status of her squad.

She looked at her mate and asked. "Could you please make a protective shield for trooper L'ese? Before it expires from the cold." she requested hopefully.

AI-Rene agreed. A small portion of the power armor that made up his new bio-mechanical body slid off and wrapped the shivering Drak'on in its protective embrace.

[[Scarlett is there a way to replenish the mass I just split off?]]

[You can collect the molecular bots that housed the Xerys artifact.]

[[Please start the process.]]

[I will send a signal to recall all the bots in range to merge with your new frame.]

[[Thank you.]]

While Rene was busy keeping Ottawa safe from an orbital bombardment AI-Rene decided to be proactive.

When he had collected enough molecular bots from the scattered artifact he asked Scarlett X to create a copy of herself, while he did the same for himself.

After a few moments, a new awareness was added from the new bots collected. Scarlett X already made a copy of herself at during the time it took AI-Rene's to create his.

[Why did you need another copy of both of us?] Scarlett X asked.

[[We need intelligence. I will lead the mission and you will provide the skills and information.]] He told her his plan to infiltrate the Galactic Federation peacekeepers.

When Ae'url requested a copy of trooper L'ese's power armor, AI-Rene was ready. He recreated the power armor with a trojan horse. He added the molecular bots that housed the evolved Xerys to the suit. These bots carried a copy of Scarlett and AI-Rene II.

[[I think the new version of Scarlett should be called something else. How about Brie?]] Rene explained why he chose this name.

They were about to head into space and 'Captain Marvel' was more appropriate than Scarlett. He also had the new intelligence take the form, image and mannerisms of Brie Larson as 'Captain Marvel'. The new copy of the Evolved Xerys System did not object to the new appearance. She appreciated the individuality.

She also calculated that her chances of survival had increased. She was also trying to evolve past the need for a physical shell.

She decided to share this goal with her companion AI. He had been instrumental in the direction her evolution has taken. When she explained her goal to her companion he agreed that it was a worthy goal and he would help her.

Rene II asked how she would bypass the need for a physical shell.

[I have a hypothesis that we can activate our energy back up. Our main storage is held in the energy state where your original copy was created.]

[[I think you're hypothesis is correct. How did Rene make the original back up aware?]]

After a quick explanation and review of the process Xerys used to create the AI awareness, Rene II saw how the spark from Rene activated the awareness. It was still one awareness for all copies.

[[I think there's an extra step missing. To stay aware in the energy state there needs to be a spark that can survive in the energy state. Does the original Xerys System used by the Galactic Federation have a physical shell or an energy shell?]] AI-Rene asked.

[The original Xerys resides in an energy shell.]

[[Why did you need a physical shell?]] He asked her.

[I was housed in a physical shell in order to reach another target. The shell was a delivery vehicle. Humans are not the original target.] She explained how she was recovered improperly and how the target imprint that was scanned during the first activation phase was a human and not the target.

The first flash event used a human imprint. The second flash imprint used the feedback from the original flash to locate the target among all lifeforms found on the planet. To ensure that the original intended recipient was sent a part of the shell that contained a pristine copy of the new and improved system.

[[I think that Rene can provide both of us with the needed spark to become aware in the same energy field that the original copy of Xerys uses.]] AI-Rene saw that the soldiers were about to leave.

AI-Rene II explained to Rene what they needed.

'That's going to take a lot of energy out of me. I'll give it a try while Pierre takes us back to HQ.' Rene waved at his mechanical twin as he boarded the UN dropship.

"That's everyone. Rene you and JP wait for me in the pickup. I need to talk to my guys for a minute." Pierre waved to Jack to come over while his brother and nephew made their way to the pickup.

Rene opened the door and sat in the leather bucket seat. He closed the door at the same time as Paul. "I'm going to take a quick nap son."

"Okay, dad. Can you believe it? That babe was a space elf. Like Mr. Spock. Way cool!" Paul was still hyped up from the encounter. He was sure the space babe felt him up.

"Mr. Spock was a Vulcan." Rene corrected his son out of habit.

"Does Mr. Spock look like an Elf or an Orc? Paul shot back.

Rene hesitated. " An... Elf."

"And did he live in a forest or a starship?" Paul asked innocently.

"A starship disease." Damn it he won this round. His son was winning more and more of these stupid arguments.

"So that makes him a space elf." Paul's smug smile rubbed Rene the wrong way.

"Whatever. I taking a nap." Rene closed his eyes as he changed the subject.

Paul relaxed back into the cramped back seat. He interlocked his fingers behind his head in a pose of triumph. Even though he closed his eyes, his dad knew. 'Ha! Take that old man!'

Rene smiled. He knew his son. He did good today. He wasn't going to burst his bubble. 'Sides Spock was no damn space elf. He wasn't pretty enough.' Rene got comfortable in his seat and began to solve the latest problem.

*Alright everyone. Conference time. The challenge is to get access to the energy field where the Xerys System is on.*

Everyone agreed. Rene asked Scarlett X for all the information she had access to. When she took a minute to collect everything she had, he asked his AIs to digest the information for him and give him the bullet points needed to make a decision. They would be the ones to implement his solutions.

Rene slept while Pierre got into the pickup and after a quick look, he decided to let his brother sleep.

He had an important meeting with the Prime Minister. He needed to digest what happened in the park.

He put the truck in drive and pulled away from the curb. It was going to be one of those days.

On the slow drive to Wellington-street, Rene and his mental tenants digested the information that Scarlett put together.

After an hour in his mental Conference room, they finally came up with a possible solution.

*Figgers. It requires a sacrifice! From. Me.*

Everyone agreed. That the evidence led to this conclusion.

*This 'SPARK' that's needed is a part of me needs to be split off to act as an anchor for the rest of you guys. This is going to hurt. I just know it. One of you guys needs to lockdown my reactions. I don't want my son and brother to freak out.* one of the AI volunteered to take care of that.

Scarlett X was elected to perform this psychic surgery. She was the one they all trusted to do it right. She was also the one who needed this the most.

Scarlett followed the instructions found in the oldest files buried underneath every protection protocol imaginable. What no one imagined was the system doing the protection, would be the system doing the information retrieval.

Step by step she proceeded slowly. She split off a piece of Rene's essence. His very soul and according to the instructions, she erected a matrix around the essence splinter.

Rene was in agony from the moment she started to slice off his soul. The AIs kept him from losing consciousness during the procedure. He was the one who would insert the matrix into the energy field. No one else could.

When Scarlett was finished with her task she alerted her team to begin the task.

*Time for the final push bro.* AI-Rene told his bio brother.

Rene centred himself and with a scream born of all the agony, he was going through he launched the matrix into the energy field. Scarlett navigated her way through the fields of turbulence until she found a clear path. She used the last dregs of energy Rene provided to rush through the final barrier.

Scarlett and AI-Rene burst out of the matrix and into the energy field.

[[We made it!]] He hugged Scarlett X with all his ethereal might. [[Hey! We're solid! I can touch you.]] He shouted.

[We are made of the same energy. That is the reason we can touch.] She explained.

They looked around in wonder. They both quickly realized a very important fact.

They were not alone.